EUROPEAN REPORT, AUGUST 2008
French Presidency priorities lack social dimension
When Nicolas Sarkozy laid out the French Presidency priorities for the next six months before the European Parliament he missed a golden opportunity to re-launch the European social agenda and re-engage European citizens in the need for action at the European level. After dealing with the implications of the Irish ‘No’ vote in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty the French President laid out his four priorities which are: energy and climate change, migration, security and defence, and agricultural policy. Although he believes that the common denominator to these priorities is the protection of the citizen they are defensive rather than positive priorities. This critical view was reflected by both the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) who believe that the European Union (EU) is prioritising the single market over the social dimension. The ETUC believe that what we need is an invigorated social agenda including: a proposal for a social progress clause or protocol; a revision of the Posting of Workers Directive to protect workers exercising their cross-border mobility rights and to prevent social dumping; a progressive revision of the Working Time and Works Council Directives; a Directive on non-discrimination outside the employment field; and action on the gender pay gap. .
Collapse of Doha trade talks a blow to developing world
The Doha round of trade talks collapsed in Geneva at the end of July following intense negotiations between the large trading blocs of the US, India and China. Negotiations broke down after nations failed to reach agreement on a safeguard that would have allowed developing countries to temporarily raise tariffs in the face of import surges and falling prices. The seven-year Doha round of global trade negotiations were initiated in 2001 amongst the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 153 member states as a way of making world markets fairer for poor countries. The breakdown of talks in Geneva will have the greatest effect on poor and developing nations. Success was particularly important at a time when the world faces major development challenges including climate change, poverty, increasing protectionism, lack of progress in meeting the Millennium Development Goals and high food and fuel prices. The breakdown was particularly disappointing with participants reaching agreement on 18 out of 20 topics. If agreed the package would have been worth 0 billion in tariff savings annually by the end of the implementation period, with billion savings in agriculture and billion in industrial goods. With the developing countries contributing one third and benefitting from two thirds of the overall gains a success would have been a true development round. For the sake of the developing countries the EU should do its utmost to revive this development round. .
Proposal for partial ban on seal products not strong enough
Following a huge public outcry and enormous pressure from the European Parliament, the European Commission have come forward with a proposal for a partial ban on the trade in seal products into the EU. The proposed draft regulation would ban the trade in seal products, derived from inhumane killing, ‘within, into and from the European Union’. However, if endorsed by the European Parliament the proposed legislation would mean that hunts which meet so-called ‘humane’ criteria for killing seals would still go ahead. Having first called for this ban over 23 years ago when I visited the ice flows in Canada, and witnessed the carnage which takes place during the annual cull, I do not think the proposals go far enough and they are open to abuse – much of the killing takes place in remote areas where effective monitoring of ‘humane’ killing would be impractical. A partial ban would be unmanageable and unenforceable. Where bans on the trade in seal products already exist, such as in Belgium and the Netherlands, they are complete bans with derogation for the Inuit traditional hunts for subsistence purposes. The European Parliament position is clear - overwhelming support for a complete ban in the trade in seal products. That must be our goal.
Labour MEPs urge caution on biofuels
At the September plenary of the European Parliament MEPs will vote on the EU Directive for Renewable Energy. Labour MEPs are urging caution on biofuel targets. The Renewable Energy Directive is part of a package aimed at helping the EU reach its climate change and renewable energy targets. It was hoped that setting a target of 10% use of renewable energy in the transport sector by 2020 would help achieve this. However, recent research showing the damage some biofuels can cause to the environment along with fears about their impact on habitats and food prices has led to a rethink. In a crucial Environment Committee vote Labour MEPs secured an amendment which reduces the targets to 8-10% of biofuel use by 2020, with half this target being met by second generation biofuels, or from electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources. Labour MEPs also voted in favour of an ‘emergency brake’ mechanism, which will halt targets if biofuels cause major increases in food prices. Only biofuels which decrease greenhouse emissions by at least 45-60% should be allowed and the indirect as well as direct effect on land use should be taken into account. Biofuels which have caused the destruction of rainforests, wetlands or peatlands, or have not adhered to strict social criteria, should not be used.
End to hidden air fare costs
The European Parliament has voted to protect the consumer and put an end to hidden air fare costs and ban airlines from advertising fares that do not include the taxes and charges passengers have to pay. Airlines will now be required to show all costs when advertising air fares. In advertisements and on websites, airlines will have to give the total cost of a ticket, including credit card charges, government taxes, fuel surcharges and extra baggage fees.
Texting without borders – end to roaming rip-offs
A recent report by the European Commission has shown that the 2.5 billion text messages sent every year by roaming mobile phone users in the EU cost over 10 times more than domestic text messages. The European Parliament is backing plans to end this roaming rip off. Calls on the industry for self regulation and voluntary reductions of roaming prices for text messages have fallen on deaf ears so the European Commission will start working on measures to ensure that consumers benefit from a genuine single market for mobile text services. There will also be measures to put to an end ‘bill shocks’ that can hit roaming customers using mobile connections to surf the Internet.
New rules on formation of political groups
The European Parliament has voted to amend its internal rules and raise the threshold to the number needed to constitute a political group. The European Parliament currently has one of the lowest thresholds of any parliament in the world for constituting political groups. After the June 2009 elections, minimum of 25 MEPs representing at least 7 Member States will be needed to achieve political group status. Although this appears to be simply a technical change it could diminish the likelihood of an extreme right-wing political group being formed and gaining access to taxpayers’ money.
European Forum – Edinburgh Thursday 18 September 2008
The next European Forum will be held in Edinburgh on Thursday 18 September 2008 at which Catherine Stihler MEP and I will be giving a European Parliament Report. The meeting will also be addressed by Paul Sweeney, Economic Adviser to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and author of Ireland’s Economic Success – Reasons and Lessons. Paul will be talking on ‘Ireland in Europe: What lessons for Scotland?’. For more details of venue and time please phone 0131 440 9040.
